This invention relates to an apparatus and method for screen printing of T-shirts and the like utilizing a vacuum.
Screen printing of T-shirts and the like is typically carried out in the following manner. A printing screen is constructed by covering a frame with a screen of very fine mesh, usually constructed of silk, nylon or similar filament. The holes in the screen are selectively filled by well-known procedures so as to leave unfilled holes in the pattern of design to be printed. The T-shirt to be printed in placed on a table or shirt board and the screen placed on top of the shirt. Suitable ink is then spread across the screen by use of a roller or squeegee which spreads the ink and also presses it through the holes in the screen. This leaves the desired ink pattern on the shirt.
The prior art techniques for screen printing of T-shirts and the like are time consuming and difficult, where manual, and extremely costly where mechanisms are used. For example, screen printing utilizing a vacuum has been applied in the past to paper. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,649 describes an apparatus wherein a vacuum is used in conjunction with printing ink. U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,005 uses a very narrow slot vacuum in conjunction with printing on paper. U.S. Pat. No. 3,137,230 uses rollers in cooperation with a vacuum, while U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,442 describes a mechanism for having a vacuum hold thick fabrics in position for penetration by low viscosity color. These screen printing devices which incorporate a vacuum are not applicable to the problems of printing on T-shirts and are extremely complex and costly.
One object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive reliable apparatus and method for screen printing of T-shirts which incorporates a vacuum and does not use a roller or squeegee.
Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent from the description and claims which follow taken together with the appended drawings.